Tropical Granola

Good morning sunshine! Or good afternoon to anyone, like us, who happened to have slept in.
This is a great granola to brighten up your week, a tropical twist on a classic.
Finally I have a purpose for the pretty dried tropical fruit that, until now, sat batting its eyelashes at me in hopes that I would let it star in a dish of its own.

I didn't add sugar as there is plenty in the fruit for us - but if you like it sweeter - just add a little brown sugar to the mix.

This granola would also make for amazing parfaits, layered with some Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Tropical Granola
for I Heart Cooking Clubs Potluck
adapted from Kahakai Kitchen, adapted from Mark Bittman's Food Matters
and from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Ingredients:
6 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking or instant) or other rolled grains
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (I used a mix of macadamias, slivered almonds, and sunflower seeds)
1 cup dried sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup coconut milk
Pinch kosher salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped dried tropical fruit (I used a mix of 1 1/4 cups of dried mango, papaya, crystallized ginger and banana chips)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, nuts and seeds, coconut, cardamom and coconut milk; sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Toss well to thoroughly distribute ingredients. Spread the mixture on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or a little longer, stirring occasionally. The granola should brown evenly; the browner it gets without burning, the crunchier it will be.

Remove pan from oven and add the dried fruit. Cool on a rack, stirring now and then until the granola reaches room temperature. Put in a sealed container and store in refrigerator; it will keep indefinitely.